Moving stinks....

So glad its not me thats moving! But I've been helping a friend the past couple days move into her own place. Now I remember why I hate moving..... I know she is probably thrilled everything is in the place, even though its not all set up yet..... its there!



I've also realized that March is a hugely busy month for us. I have 6 birthdays to remember in March! And with my memory, thats a massive task lol. But I did myself a favor and got one of those dry/erase board calendar things, I love it! I write down all of the birthdays, appointments, notes, everything!! It's wonderful. Everybody should have one!!!

I'm also making myself a list of things to do before my Vegas trip so that I can make John's life easier when I go. I'm going to attempt to have a bunch of meals made ready to cook so all he has to do is pop them in the oven, this way he won't have to worry about thinking up something to cook. Lord knows anything I can do to make our lives easier with two little boys, I will do! The boys make it pretty easy too though, they aren't horribly picky.

Alright all, its been a tiring Thursday and definitely time for me to go lay down and get some rest!

Here's to a Happy Friday!

Amazing....

I've decided my husband is amazing. He completely tore his laptop apart this morning across the dining room table and put it all back together. I mean tore it apart, every little teeny tiny piece...... I was very impressed.
Well thats my day so far, pretty boring I know....

Definitions....

I once received one of those annoying spam chain letter emails about defining. Usually I don't open these but this one sounded fun. What you did was send it to all of your address book in your email and ask your friends and family to describe you in only ONE word, just one!
These are some of the responses I got and I am going to use them for my "about me" section on here to describe myself. I love them and they all fit and they came from those who know me BEST! So I am proud to wear all of the titles.

Strong-willed
Sensitive (who me?)
Sarcastic
Loving
Spunky
Hilarious
Fun
Sweet
Empathetic
Exquisite (thank you John)

Two days in a row, I'm off to a good start...

Well I made final decisions today for my "Mommy Trip". I'm going to Vegas alone. No husband, no kids. I'm not sure I'm ready but tickets are done so I've got to go either way. I know, as John always says, I need to take some "me" time and get a break but its hard. I've never been away from my boys and it upsets me to my core to even think about it right now. I know Mom and Sara will keep me busy and so I'll be fine, but I'm sure for at LEAST the first half of the plane ride I'll be the crazy crying lady lol.
I know the boys will have so much fun alone with John and having a guys couple weeks. I will be gone for just shy of 2 weeks. They'll have a blast I know.
Secretly I am a bit excited to only have myself to take care of too. Noone to wake up early with, nobody to feed, nobody to discipline, nobody to watch, only myself. It'll be interesting.

My day today has been pretty boring and I don't have much to say. The boys and I didn't even leave our jammies today :) Have a fabulous Tuesday !

Family Update...

I know this is a second post on the same day but I thought they should be seperated.

John..... he got back to work after surgery in January and was so glad to be back. I think he was starting to go a little nuts not working at all, so he was sooo very ready to get back and get his shop back to the way it should be. I know he was pretending not to be too bothered by it, but I know my husband and I know he was thinking about it alot! ha ha. The boys were a bit confused when he went back becuase he had not been working since mid September so I think they figured we were both stay at home parents now! He just got back from an almost month long TDY to Florida last Thursday and phew did we miss him! This TDY seemed to drag on and on. But he's home and we are ecstatic!

Tristan..... we got him started back up in preschool also in January and he was so excited. Tristan thrives off of preschool. He loves all the kids, his teachers, everybody. He walks in the front door and before even going downstairs to his classroom, he loudly says "GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY" when I take him. Now anybody who knows my boy, can completely picture him doing this. He is VERY dramatic in every way. He has seemed to really be more open about sharing what he has learned this semester. He wasn't really before, he didn't want to "perform" really. But now, he sings the new songs on the way home. I have heard him lately around the house singing "little bunnie foofoo", "the hokey pokey" and so on, he was actually SHOCKED to hear my sing little bunnie foofoo with him, he said "hey how did you know that song, did Miss Lynette teach you too" ha ha!!! Tristan has learned on his own recently to add numbers together also! Tristan is just so smart... he picks up on things so easily and is so expressive and such a bright light for John and I. He is a true joy!!

Jacob..... He has really come into himself lately. He speaks so well now, and he speaks just so clearly, well except with that little east coast accent he has. At first I thought he had some sort of speech issue but it just turns out that he has Johns accent, go figure! He is so excited to start preschool come this August, and he will be so ready. He knows every letter, every number, he writes his name, tristans name and really does so well. He is still onry as ever, I think its just part of his personality. He tests EVERYTHING. It doesnt matter if we tell him not to do something 50 times that day and he goes to the corner 50 times, he will still try it just once more. I know in my heart there will come a time that this Strong personality will truely pay off for Jacob, and its such a great thing to have, just not when he is only 3 ha ha!!!

So theres my update on all of my boys, the most important parts of my life :)

Getting back in the swing of things...

Wow, its been a long while since I last wrote. And there is so much to say....

The last 6 months have been one of the most defining moments of my life. Its been awesome, wonderful, beautiful and amazing, and then awful, sad, heartbreaking and devastating.

In October of last year John donated 62% of his liver to his father after a few weeks of testing to make sure he was a perfect match. John recovered wonderfully and still is. Dad seemed to be doing so well for a while and then things went the wrong direction and we lost Dad on January 3rd of this year. The most devastating and horrible thing that could have happened. John, the boys, and I were in RI during the surgery part for a month and a half to be a part of all of this. We would not have had it any other way. I feel so lucky that things worked out in our lives to be able to accomplish that. I needed to be by my husbands side every step of the way and the boys needed to be a part of it also. And I'm so glad we were. The surgery itself was something that made us as a family stronger together, and it was a beautiful experience.

Now I can only speak on my behalf when it comes to Dad. Sometimes it seems to me that he still is here. And I have found myself going to pick up the phone to call him or have the boys call and say hi and have to remind myself that he is no longer available by a simple phone call. After losing my own father when I was 15, losing Johns dad brought that all back and then some. I feel so lucky to have been one of the people who knew him. And my heart broke when we lost him, I was and am completely devastated and have found it very difficult to get to a point of understanding and to a point where I don't feel bitter anymore. I'm getting there but I haven't quite arrived. I know that he is now watching over us and he is a part of our every day lives but selfishly, sometimes thats just not good enough. John and I speak about him to the boys pretty much daily and they bring him up all of the time. We will keep in alive in our lives because he is and always will be a huge part of our souls. I miss him dearly. He was an amazing man and the world is a bit more dim now that he is gone.

We are getting through this as a family and we will continue to do that, to stick together, get shoulder to shoulder, bear down and push through. And we will come out on the other side stronger.

That all brings us to February....
I have battled my illness this month something fierce and for a while it seemed the Graves was winning. I haven't spoken about it alot to anyone, just because I hate having to tell "the stories" over and over again. I know I have wonderful friends who would be there for me any time I asked, but sometimes, I just would rather suck it up and not bother people. I have been dealing with horrid symptoms and even more horrid doctors that won't do anything to assist me but basically going back through the game of them telling me its in my head and that the tests are showing that nothing is wrong so I just need to relax. I have spent nights so irate at doctors and frustrated dealing with people that I could SCREAM!! Lately after a few doctors visits, a few ER visits and lots of crying and frustration I feel like I'm feeling a bit better. I know that I need to take a positive outlook on myself and really get to a point where I am running my life and not letting my disease run ME. I'll figure it out.... eventually lol.

Like I said, this last 6 months has been full of life experiences, that both tore me down and built me up. I am so thankful for my family, my amazingly wonderful husband, my beautiful children and for all of the great blessings I have gotten. I am a very lucky woman to have the people I have in my life and to have the family that I have.

In memory here are some pictures from our most recent times with Dad.